


Stay Close To Me

by Lady_Iwaizumi



Category: Haikyuu!!, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: 2018-2019 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, Alternate Universe - Hockey, Alternate Universe - Skating, Anxiety, Boyfriends, Boys Kissing, Competition, Dates, Engagement, Established Relationship, Free Skate (Figure Skating), Friendship, Grand Prix Final, Ice Skating, Injury, Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Grand Prix Final, Press Leak, Press and Tabloids, Pressure, Romance, Secret Relationship, Secret Santa, Yuri On Ice Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 22:12:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17068100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Iwaizumi/pseuds/Lady_Iwaizumi
Summary: “For his free skate, Kuroo will be skating to Stay Close To Me,” The announcer said, hushing his voice as the cheers died down. “Let us see what he can do in his first Grand Prix Final. From Nekoma, Japan, Kuroo Tetsurou!”On the final night of the 2018 Grand Prix Figure Skating Finals, pro hockey player Bokuto Koutarou accidentally reveals his secret engagement with Kuroo to the press. Chaos ensues





	Stay Close To Me

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in record time and it was so much funnnnnn. What's better than Haikyuu with a hint of Yuri? Nothing. hehe
> 
> Sadly I do not own Haikyuu, Yuri On Ice or any of the beautiful lyrics from Victor's "Stay Close To Me"

_2018 Grand Prix Finals_

_(Osaka, Japan)_

**_Current Standings:_ **

_1.Akaashi Keiji—103.20_

_2.Oikawa Tooru—101.35_

_3.Kuroo Tetsurou—99.89_

_4.Hinata Shouyou—91.05_

_5.Sugawara Koushi—90.58_

_6.Kenma Kozume—89.74_

 

Kuroo wouldn’t say he was _nervous_ ; not entirely, at least. He had done well in yesterday’s short skate, landed all his jumps and only messed-up a tiny bit on one of his spins, landing him in third behind Oikawa and Akaashi. His free program was definitely his strong suit, and he wasn’t really so much worried about his current position than he was about the absence of his fiancé, pro-hockey player and captain for the Fukurodani Owls. Bokuto wasn’t able to come watch yesterday because his team had to practice for their game earlier this afternoon—last Kuroo heard, they were winning, but his anxiety derived from the fact that Bokuto still hadn’t shot him a text saying he had made it. Did Kuroo really need Bokuto’s cheers to help him win? Not really, but…it would be nice if his fiancé were there to see him place in his first Grand Prix Final.

“Last two skaters, Akaashi Keiji, Kuroo Tetsurou?”

“Here,” Kuroo waved.

“Present.”

The director motioned them to the exit—Oikawa had just finished his _disastrous_ free skate, tweaking his injured knee in the process of missing two specialty jumps, the ones he hadn’t missed in _months_ , it seemed like. Akaashi was going last, after Kuroo, but their iron nerves both seemed to be dented a bit upon entering the stadium and seeing Oikawa limping off the ice tragically, leaning on his coach for support upon making it out. His score would definitely be affected by those missed jumps, even though the rest of the performance had been flawless, despite his injury flaring up again; Kuroo and Akaashi said not a word as Tooru attempted to keep some pride while glancing up at the scoreboard with his coach in the kiss & cry.

“The scores for Oikawa Tooru, please.”

“Poor Oikawa,” Tetsurou finally mumbled. “This is only his second Grand Prix Finals—I hope his knee doesn’t end-up ruining his career…”

“Tooru-kun is strong,” Akaashi replied thoughtfully. “He’ll bounce back like he always does.”

“204.29,” An announcer read. “That’s better than I expected, though not anywhere near Oikawa’s season best. He’s secured a medal position, but the final two skaters will determine what place he gets.”

Kuroo gave Oikawa a thumbs-up before taking the ice with Akaashi for a quick warm-up before their performances; once their skates hit the slippery surface, the friendly atmosphere vanished, and the skaters went their separate ways.

 _…Where the hell is Bokuto?_ Tetsurou couldn’t help worrying as he loosened his legs up. _He should have been here hours ago. I can’t be overthinking about something like this right now! I have to focus. Focus. Focus…on the fact that Bokuto is my fiancé and isn’t here to cheer me on. What the hell is up with THAT? I know no one else knows about it, but come on! He could at least pretend to be a relative or something…maybe he’s sitting with my family? Maybe he and Daichi skipped it all together and went out partying. Suga would probably kill Iwaizumi for that, though—come to think of it, I might have to kill Bokuto myself._

_Focus, Kuroo!_

The black-haired skater went up into a triple-lutz, landing it perfectly and giving himself a firm nod, trying to force his negative thoughts away; the ice was looking smooth tonight, save for the spots where Oikawa fell, but Tetsurou gently steered clear of that bad path and focused on feeling the ice, moving across it like a ballerina. Even if Bokuto wasn’t here to see, Kuroo was going to give it _better_ than his all—as his first Grand Prix Final, no one was expecting him to place higher than fourth or fifth; since he was in third already, he figured the only direction he could go was up. Sure, Akaashi was disturbingly flawless in yesterday’s performance “ _In Regards To Love: Agape_ ,” but what was new? Keiji could be perfect even if he didn’t practice for five months. That was expected. Kuroo wanted to be the unexpected dark horse in this year’s competition. Another jump attempt—a little wobbly, but otherwise clean. The catish man glanced across the ice where his competitor was in his own little world, eyes closed as he gracefully went through one of his brilliant step-sequences again.

“The final skaters of the night have taken the ice for one last practice—Akaashi Keiji of Fukurodani sits comfortably in first and has yet to show any vulnerability this Grand Prix series. He will be skating to a crowd favorite, the ever-so-prideful song _Samarkand Overture_. Kuroo Tetsurou has done well himself, only a few points shy of his season best during the short skate; I’m eager to see how this one will turn out…”

All the loud voices booming through the stadium became white noise to Kuroo as he lifted his left hand up suddenly, a bright shine glimmering off the ice and reflecting into his line of sight; the golden ring Bokuto had given to him last month was tucked underneath the black half-glove of his costume where only Tetsurou himself could see it. The skater stopped where he was to look down and stare intently at the ring, intensity of the world bearing down around him like a dark shadow of hell.

 _Bokuto meant what he said when he gave me this_ , Kuroo thought quietly, touching the ring through the black sheer fabric. _I know he meant it. I know he loves me, and I know he wants me to do well. If I know that…then why I am I doubting us at such an inopportune time? He wears his ring under his hockey glove…he showed me one day when I was watching them practice. Bokuto meant what he said about staying with me through all my figure skating seasons, so why?_

_Why is he not here with me?_

A loud, obnoxious, very familiar voice cut through the clouds around Kuroo’s head, breaking the wall of silence blocking the skater’s senses.

“KUROO!!!!!! _HEY!!!!!!_ OVER _HERE_!!!!!!”

Tetsurou’s heart jumped in his chest, eyes frantically searching the wave of spectators for the source of that yell; two muscular forearms were waving wildly in the air, trying to capture his upmost attention. A bright smile immediately broke the serious expression on Kuroo’s face as he waved back, eyes locking on the one and only, Bokuto Koutarou, still dressed in his hockey jersey from their game hours earlier. Those happy golden eyes widened further when they noticed Kuroo looking, and the pair both felt a wave of calm overcome their auras—to think it had been over ten years ago when they first met in skating class, pushing and trying to trip each other in hopes of impressing the teacher more…who would have thought their relationship would grow so high? Tetsurou didn’t see it coming. Their love of skating was totally opposite, completely different and not in the _slightest_ bit compatible; this was true, but at this moment, neither of them could really care. Bokuto was right in the middle of his fiancé’s fan group, leading their cheers and preparing their gifts to throw onto the ice when Kuroo finished. He was grinning ear to ear as he pointed to the ring on his finger, flashing it for all to see. Their game had probably gone into overtime, and the lovable idiot probably hadn’t bothered to shower before rushing over to the skating stadium, much to the disgust of the fans around him. Iwaizumi was beside him as well, looking at Tooru in concern as the injured skater limped into the locker-rooms below.

“GOOD LUCK, KUROO!!!” Bokuto cried, voice louder than anyone else’s.

“Thanks,” Kuroo laughed, somehow knowing his fiancé understood as he pushed off the barrier and continued to warm-up. “…I knew you wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

About a minute later, the final bell went off, and Akaashi and Tetsurou skated back to the entrance; Kuroo’s coach came up to grab his student’s jacket and give some last-minute advice, adjusting a few pieces of Kuroo’s black and red costume. The crowd became increasingly nervous as the judges readied themselves for the final two skaters of the night, expressions stern and prepared for the best and worst.

“And here we go, folks! The last figure skating performances of the year!” The announcer cheered. “Kuroo Tetsurou will take the ice, now. Currently sitting in third, Kuroo will have to skate at his very best if he wants to overcome Akaashi for first place; nerves haven’t gotten the best of him so far in this competition, and Tetsurou’s free skate is by far one of the better performed pieces out of all skaters this season. I think we’re in for an interesting turn of events, here.”

Tetsurou fist-bumped his coach one last time before pushing off the barrier and skating out to the middle of the rink, faintly hearing the crowd cheer for him—most of all, however, he could hear Bokuto’s cheesy, but unbelievably honest words from their engagement night echoing through his heart, over and over again.

_“My strength is always with you, Kuroo.”_

“Let’s go Tetsurou!!!”

“You got this!!!”

“Make us proud, Kuroo!!!”

“WHOOHOOOOO!!!”

“For his free skate, Kuroo will be skating to _Stay Close To Me_ ,” The announcer said, hushing his voice as the cheers died down. “Let us see what he can do in his first Grand Prix Final. From Nekoma, Japan, Kuroo Tetsurou!”

Bokuto and the cheering section gave one last hurrah before going totally silent, watching with anxiety and anticipation as Kuroo skated to the center of the ice; most people thought he was kissing his finger like a total weirdo, but Bokuto knew _exactly_ where those chapped lips landed—he mimicked the action, a happy smile lighting up his features as the stadium waited for the music to begin. The true skating fans had watched this routine plenty of times, but the way Kuroo skated to the _rich_ , _mature_ voice made it seem like a new dance every single occasion; that was the beauty of his skating. Tetsurou planned on showing the crowd just how much his love for figure skating (and for Bokuto) had grown over the past season. He took his position, released a quiet breath and a ghost of a smile and waited.

 

_“Sento una voce che piange lontano…anche tu, sei stato forse abbandonato?”_

_I hear a voice crying in the distance; perhaps you too, have been abandoned?_

The smooth, flawless strokes of the blade on ice were perfect from the start, and Kuroo slid across the rink like a dove flying through a windless sky; he imagined what he always did when skating the free program, only in this setting, this specific moment in time, the true meaning behind the words struck him. Bokuto and he were so young—their relationship was young and vulnerable and risky, but something indescribable was pulling them to each other like the strongest of magnets. They were too new towards the idea to be able to describe their feelings. It exposed their affection to storms and injury, but had yet managed to completely break whatever it was they had together, as one piece completed by two incomplete puzzles. Kuroo felt this in his strides, chest out with foolish pride, accented by the innocent movements of his outstretching arms.

_“Orsu’ finisco presto questo calice di vino, e inizio a preparami…adesso fa’ silenzio.”_

_Come, let’s quickly finish this glass of wine; and I start to prepare myself, now, be silent._

“Here comes the first jump, a combination—”

Tetsurou gracefully launched himself into the air, skate barely touching the ground before he jumped into the next jump, landing that one perfectly as well, hardly a splash of ice sparking out from the contact. The crowd was impressed, but dared not comment, unable to voice their approval as the song continued into a more intense verse, severity of the performance growing drastically. _I used to hate the idea of a hockey player and a figure skater dating_ , Kuroo thought calmly, gliding through a step sequence with his eyes fluttering closed. _It was so cliché to me…but I understand better, now. Despite our difference in career, it’s the love of the ice that keeps our connection strong._

“That was a high-difficulty step-sequence,” The announcer whispered into the mic. “That always gets him a lot of extra points.”

_“Con una spada vorrei tagliare quelle gole che cantano d’amore…vorrei serrare nel gelo le manic he scrivono quei versi d’ardente passione.”_

_With a sword I would cut those throats that sing of love, I would enclose in ice the hands that write those verses of fiery passion!_

Tetsurou drew his hand across the expanse of his chest delicately, speeding at a gradual pace in preparation for his only quad, to be performed right at the height of the music. Bokuto loved this part of the program, and wasn’t afraid to admit the fact to his hockey teammates; in fact, he never seemed ashamed of appreciating what his fiancé did for a living, even when the stereotype of their relationship was a cliché one that usually never ended well in the stories. Then again, Bokuto wasn’t much of a reader—in his mind, there wasn’t a single thing stopping he and Kuroo from being happy together, just as there wasn’t anything stopping Kuroo from landing this quad.

_“Questa storia che senso non ha…svanira’ questa note assieme alle stele…se potessi vederti dalla Speranza nascera’ l’eternita.”_

_This story that has no meaning will vanish this night along with the stars; if I could only see you, eternity would arise from hope._

The beautiful figure dancing across the ice was lifted into the air by sheer will, twisting and turning until his blade connected with the ice on the _exact_ right side of the blade, not a stumble or flaw to be found. A few squeals escaped the crowd at this achievement, and Bokuto had to be pulled down by Iwaizumi and Daichi so he didn’t accidently launch himself over the railing and into the kiss & cry. The deep, emotional performance continued, Kuroo reaching for the unseen stars as his music went on, intensifying with a roar of power and love. He couldn’t wait to see Bokuto after the performance, to hold him and kiss him and laugh with him—he could feel his presence even now, as he moved further away from Koutarou’s side of the arena, the golden band cool around the surface of his finger.

_“Stammi vicino, non te gambe, le mie mani, le mie gambe…e I battiti del cuore, si fondono tra loro…”_

_Stay close to me, do not leave…I am afraid to lose you. Your hands, your legs, my hands, my legs, and our heartbeats are blending together._

“The triple-axel into a double-flip—”

Kuroo had never landed the combination so cleanly before, and his coach gave a whoop of joy; the music seemed louder than ever, in time with the skater’s heartbeat, allowing him to perfect the final step-sequence and prepare for he and Bokuto’s wedding, so clear in his mind when he grabbed hold of the final verse, not letting it go even though he had no idea where it lead. The strength within Koutarou’s thick body seeped into Kuroo’s lithe figure, aiding his final row of energy and skating like a drug dose. Tetsurou leaped into the air for the triple-flip, immediately followed by a dramatic spin of vulnerability coursing into the final verse.

_“Partiamo insieme….ora sono pronto.”_

_Let’s leave together—I’m ready now._

 

Tetsurou held his pose strongly, body shaking with exertion and overwhelming happiness as the last note faded into nothingness. The entire stadium erupted with cheers, shattering the security of silence and beating their hands together wildly, though none achieved this as well as Bokuto himself. Tears fell from his widened eyes when he saw a few drip from his fiancé’s, Kuroo releasing the pose and immediately dropping to a tired position that was partially a bow to the crowd; he turned to both sides, giving proper thanks and happily watching hundreds of flowers and other items be thrown onto the ice around him.

“What a performance from Kuroo Tetsurou!!!”

“I hate to use social media lingos, but I am seriously _shook_ right now.”

“Who could have predicted such a turnout at this year’s Grand Prix Finals?! We haven’t seen this kind of skating creativity from any other performer this year outside of Akaashi Keiji himself!”

Kuroo grasped his left hand roughly and brought it back up for another kiss, hoping Bokuto could feel its power like he had felt his during the entire skate; his legs were burning from exertion, his arms hurt like hell and he couldn’t catch his breath, but Tetsurou had never felt so beautiful before. The crowd was still going crazy even when he slowly skated off the rink, snatching up a few stuffed animals along the way—Akaashi and his coach were waiting by the rink entrance, and Kuroo was surprised to see a strange, challenging little smile on the usually serious skater. Tetsurou nodded at him while slipping his skate guards on.

“That was the best performance I’ve seen from you all year, Kuroo-san,” Keiji complimented, though he wasn’t looking at him anymore. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” The taller skater grinned. “Good luck out there, Kaashi-kun.”

“Kuroo, that was incredible!” His tiny coach greeted, giving his student a large hug as Akaashi entered the rink. “I’m so proud of you!!!”

“Thanks, Nekomata-san!” Tetsurou laughed, hugging him back. “I’m glad I was able to stick all my landings. It’ll put me a little closer to the top spot if Akaashi messes-up a little.”

“Ah, let’s not worry about that now!” Nekomata chided. “Let’s go sit in the kiss & cry and wait for your score! I have no doubt it will be one of your best—that was the most mature performance I’ve seen from you yet.”

Bokuto’s yells could be heard through the conversations of excitement, and as Kuroo walked over to the kiss & cry, he grinned when he spotted his fiancé leaning over the railing above, waving at him wildly as proud tears continued to streak down his face.

“Kuroo!!!! Kuroo, up here!!!” He sniffled through the shout.

Without giving the situation a second thought, Tetsurou ran as well as he was able to in skates, jumped up onto the bench and reached over the railing above, grabbing onto Bokuto’s forearms for balance as the hockey player began congratuItaliang him.

“Kuroo, that was _amazing_!!! You were _incredible_ , you were so cool and smooth out there, and it was like you wrote the music yourself!” Bokuto smiled proudly, inches away. “I’ve _never_ seen you skate like that before!!! You were jus—”

Kuroo yanked his fiancé down further, crashing their lips together passionately and closing the gap between them like he had been wanting to do ever since spotting Koutarou in the crowd. Only the stuffed animal prevented their chests from touching, falling when Kuroo brought his head back to stare in wonder at Bokuto, who looked pretty shocked in return.

“Thanks for coming to watch,” Tetsurou smiled, cheeks aching from happiness. “Did you win your game?”

“U-Uh…y-yeah, we did! But—”

“Thanks.” Kuroo repeated, pulling the larger boy back in for a hug. “Thanks so much, Bo…”

“Yeah…you’re welcome.”

“Kuroo, come on!” Nekomata said excitedly. “The scores are in!”

“I’ll see you after, okay?” The figure skater promised with a wink, handing his fiancé the fallen stuffed animal. “Wait for me in the hallway!”

“Okay!”

Iwaizumi and Daichi could only sigh as Bokuto sat back down, cradling the stuffed animal to his chest while more tears of joy slipped out. Tetsurou sat down in the kiss & cry a few feet down, waiting with his coach as the judges typed the final score into their programs.

“The score, please.”

“Mannnnn, I’m so _nervous_!!!” Bokuto squealed anxiously, holding onto one of Daichi’s with a bruising grip.

“Chill out, Bo.”

“How can you say that?! My fiancé is about to get first or second in the Grand Prix _Finals_ , Daichi!!!”

“…Did he say _fiancé_?” One of the fans repeated behind them.

“I thought the kiss made it obvious…”

“Wait—so…Kuroo-san is _gay_?”

Kuroo was smiling even as the final score popped up on the large screen: 211.74. That was a personal best. Added to the short program score, his total was 311.63, putting him in first and guaranteeing a medal position. The crowd erupted once more, chanting Kuroo’s name as Bokuto screamed behind him, repeatedly kissing his ring for dramatic effect as Iwaizumi shook his head. There was still one skater to go, but Tetsurou didn’t mind if Akaashi beat him to a pulp—in that final performance, he finally understood why he chose that song. At first, it was because of the passion, the intensity of the singer; the more he skated to the music, the deeper the lyrics hit home. But lastly…tonight, before he performed his free skate, his worry about Bokuto had been at an all-time high. With the appearance of Koutarou in his hockey uniform, cheering to his heart’s content and kissing the golden ring that bound their souls together for all eternity…Kuroo finally understood.

He was finally ready to admit that he wanted to stay as close to Bokuto as possible.

“Congratulations, Tetsurou!” Nekomata said happily, hugging his student once more. “A personal best!”

“Our final skater of the night is last year’s winner, Akaashi Keiji.” The announcer said, capturing everyone’s attention once more. “His free skate program will be _Samarkund Overture_ ; ladies and gentlemen, the last skater of the year 2018, from Fukurodani, Japan, Akaashi Keiji!”

“Oh my…Akaashi-kun has perfected his program since we last saw it,” Nekomata mumbled as everyone became star-struck by the skater’s gracefulness. “His proud skating is definitely not something others can mimic.”

Akaashi landed his second quad without fault, making Kuroo laugh under his breath.

“Him and those damn quads…how am I supposed to compete with that?”

“If Keiji doesn’t flub any of his jumps, I’m afraid Kuroo can say goodbye to a Grand Prix Final gold medal.” An announcer whispered.

Keiji _didn’t_ flub any of his jumps. He never did. The intensely dangerous music rose and rose to a sparking finish, aided by the final quad flip that Akaashi launched into, getting great height while landing perfectly, pushing into a sharp spin before fiercely stopping at the last note of the harsh tune. Strong violins ended the performance abruptly, and following a short period of stunned silence, the crowd burst into cheers, throwing hundreds of roses down at Akaashi’s feet with respect. Kuroo clapped heavily himself, shaking his head at the younger skater’s supreme talent as he and Nekomata stood to the side; Keiji showed more emotion than Tetsurou had ever seen before, relieved tears falling from his eyelashes as he bowed to the crowd proudly, strengthened by their cheers of triumph. Bokuto tried not to be impressed, but he gave a few reluctant claps just because everyone else was; the unspoken words within the stadium became mumbled out-loud when Akaashi finally exited the rink for the final time of the year.

“Kuroo was great, but Akaashi has a higher based score in his program.”

“I don’t think Keiji-kun messed-up at all…”

“Neither did Kuroo, but he didn’t have as many difficult quads as Akaashi.”

“Let’s see what the judges thought of his artistic level, though.”

“They were both really into the songs today, but I think Kuroo will squeak ahead!”

Bokuto was biting the ear of his stuffed animal as everyone waited anxiously, staring at the un-changing board above as the judges tallied their points together. Akaashi waited in the kiss & cry with his coach, fatigued from all the stress—Kuroo and the other skaters had gathered around the side of the rink together, eagerly waiting for the final results.

“The score for Akaashi Keiji, please.”

“Come on, come on…” Bokuto whined.

_Free Skate Score:_

_Akaashi Keiji—215.43_

_Total: 318.63_

 

The crowd was given a win-win at the Grand Prix Final this year, and they cheered without really knowing who they were rooting for; only Bokuto was the slightest bit disappointed in the results, though he yelled louder and happier than anyone in the entire stadium. The final standings popped-up on the board as the skaters congratulated each other, the top three readying themselves for the awards ceremony.

Kuroo wasn’t too disappointed in his first GPF.

_Final Standings:_

_1.Akaashi Keiji—318.63_

_2.Kuroo Tetsurou—311.63_

_3.Oikawa Tooru—305.64_

_4.Sugawara Koushi—294.26_

_5.Hinata Shouyou—292.69_

_6.Kenma Kozume—290.23_

“In third place, from Shiratori—I mean…from Aoba Josai, Oikawa Tooru!”

Oikawa scoffed with disgust as the announcer almost mis-read his hometown, leaning down with the help of his crutches to accept the third-place medal around his neck.

“In second place, from Nekoma, Kuroo Tetsurou!”

“GO KUROOOOOO!!!” Bokuto screamed as Kuroo grinned, smiling at the silver medal now around his neck.

“And your Grand Prix Final champion, for the second year in a row, from Fukurodani, Akaashi Keiji!!!!”

“YEEAAAAAH!!!”

Kuroo, Akaashi and Oikawa posed for pictures without (too much) bitterness, beaming and wrapping their arms around each other even after the awards ceremony was over. A few reporters managed to snatch the first and third-place winners for interviews, but there was someone Kuroo _really_ wanted to see; he hurriedly snuck off the rink, nodding at those who congratulated him while hurrying to the locker-room so he could change. After throwing some casual clothes over his outfit and changing into sneakers, Tetsurou ran out into the hallway, frantically playing with his ring while searching for that familiar set of spikey hair amongst the crowd.

“Kuroo!” Bokuto’s voice hollered. “Over here!”

Tetsurou’s breath jumped when he spotted Bokuto standing in a little secluded spot at the end of the hall, and he immediately began dodging through the herd of people, desperate to jump into those strong biceps of his fiancé’s. Koutarou was laughing with glee by the time Kuroo made it over and happily accepted the wild hug without question.

“I’m so glad you made it!” Tetsurou laughed, eyes squeezed shut with joy.

“I’m _so_ proud of you, bro,” Bokuto mumbled while tightening his grip. “That was the best you’ve ever skated. You deserve it.”

The figure skater smiled brightly as they separated, hands still lingering over each body part, like they never wanted to be separated; Kuroo wasn’t sure where to start, or how to describe his feelings to his fiancé, but it seemed Bokuto already knew. He grinned and cupped Tetsurou’s jaw gently, turning those flickering eyes directly onto his golden ones for focus.

“Hey,” The hockey player said in a low voice. “You don’t have to say anything. I may not be an expert on figure skating, but…I understood every word, Kuroo. When you were skating, I just… _knew_.”

“…Really?” The black-haired man smiled.

“Really. Now come here and give me another hug!”

“Kuroo-san, Kuroo-san!”

Before Bokuto and he could react or make good on their hugging promise, three reporters suddenly came barreling towards them, eyes wide and cameras pointed right at them as the other hallway guests glanced over with interest. Koutarou had forgotten about the whole public kissing incident…

“Is it true that you’re engaged?!”

“Kuroo-san, is it true that you’re part of the LBGT community?!”

“How long have you two been secretly dating?!”

“Uhh…I…I, um…”

“Kuroo—did you skate for Bokuto today?”

“Is that really a wedding ring under your glove?!”

“Are you dating the hockey captain Bokuto Koutarou?!”

“I…uhhh…”

Kuroo looked to his fiancé for help, but it seemed Bokuto’s strong-will faltered under the brightness of the camera, because all he could do was nod several times.

“It’s true?!” The reporter confirmed with shock.

“Um…it…yeah,” Tetsurou sighed. “Yes. Bokuto and I have been dating for two-years, and we’re engaged to be married.”

Chaos erupted in the little hallway, and before they were trampled, Daichi and Iwaizumi came hurrying towards them and acted as security guards, yelling at them to move it or lose it.

“The exit’s that way!” Daichi pointed as they began sprinting away. “Hurry!”

“We’ll stop them from following you, now go!”

“Come on, babe!” Bokuto cackled, gaining his courage back and grabbing onto Kuroo’s hand. “Let’s get the hell out of here!”

“Hurry, Bokuto!”

The engaged couple squealed with joy, running as fast as their tired legs could as Iwaizumi and Daichi managed to stop the reporters from following them through the exit door; Kuroo led his boyfriend through the crowd and around the stadium, running until they found themselves in an empty park, far from any press or media scoundrels. They leaned on their knees for air, huffing and puffing through the laughing fits—when they finally recovered, Bokuto reached over and inspected Kuroo’s silver medal, nodding in approval at its weight and density.

“Silver isn’t too horrible of a color,” He commented, getting a light smack on the arm. “It accents your hoodie nicely.”

“Shut-up,” Kuroo chuckled. “So…are we gunna talk about what just happened?”

“Sure! I can’t believe you just got _second_ at your first Grand Prix Final!!!”

“No, you dummy, about the press!” Tetsurou cried. “We just exposed our relationship to the entire world! Doesn’t that _worry_ you at all?!”

The hockey player thought about it for a minute, giving a shrug when he finished.

“Not…exactly. I mean, it’ll be chaos for a while, but there are lots of gay professional athlete couples!”

“Name one.”

“Okay! …For instance…Yuri Katsuki and Victor Nikivorof!”

“I meant _real_ people, Bokuto!” Kuroo rolled his eyes.

“They _are_ real people, thank you very much! How dare you say that about my favorite anime?” Bokuto pouted, frowning at his fiancé. “I’d expect you to have more respect for your fellow figure skaters.”

Kuroo couldn’t help but laugh at their pathetic argument attempt, prompting Koutarou to laugh as well, pulling the figure skater in for a hug as the night sky twinkled above them.

“We’ll figure everything out tomorrow. Or maybe the next day,” Bokuto promised. “Let’s go celebrate, now, okay? Where do you wanna eat? I think there’s a nice ramen place nearby.”

“Ramen sounds _amazing_ right now,” Kuroo sighed tiredly, leaning on the other for support as they set off through the park. “Is it really far away?”

“Nah—and if it is, I’ll carry you, Tetsurou!”

The black-haired young man rolled his eyes, but was secretly overjoyed at the thought of his fiancé carrying him all the way to a ramen shop, where they could then eat to their heart’s content. It sounded like a perfect way to end a perfect night. Aside from the whole exposing their engagement incident…but with how warm Bokuto was next to him, Tetsurou couldn’t find it in him to care much. They already had their Christmas shopping done, they were set to have a little vacation next weekend, Kuroo had skated his very best today, and his favorite person had been there to cheer him on, even though he didn’t win. Bokuto wasn’t even irritated that Kuroo wasn’t able to attend his hockey game.

Did life honestly get much better than this?

“Hey, Bo.” Kuroo hummed, leaning closer. “… _Stammi vicino_.”

Despite his lack of Italian studies, Bokuto had heard Tetsurou talk about those specific words often, and knew what they meant right away.

“I’ll _always_ stay close to you, Kuroo,” Bokuto smiled, bringing his fiancé’s ringed hand up for a kiss. “And I’ll never leave.”

**Author's Note:**

> MERRRRRYYYY CHRISTMASSSSSS and have a great day! Tell me what you thought in the comments, and if you liked or loved it please leave a kudos and bookmark for later!  
> Love,  
> Bodhi


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